Arsenal Players Who Took Drugs

Top Arsenal Players Who Took Drugs

Arsenal players who took drugs? Here we look at the top Arsenal players who have taken drugs in the past. Which Arsenal players have failed drugs tests? Here, we find out the Arsenal players who took drugs in the past.

Football is a tough sport and in the highest level, stress often interferes with a player’s mindset. Paired with a big bank account and infused in all the glory of a public figure, lot of players give in to drug use and partying.

There are also other instances when a footballer has been motivated to take drugs. If a player isn’t feeling up to the high demands of their fitness and physicality, then some of them have used drugs to boost their performances. Performance enhancing drugs have been banned for a long time now and drugs tests are performed routinely for top-level athletes and footballers. Some get caught, some don’t.

While other professional footballers have taken illegal drugs such as cocaine for recreational use, they have suffered the consequences when caught through bans and hefty fines.

So which Arsenal players have taken drugs and been caught? Here we find out.

Top Arsenal Players Who Took Drugs

Samir Nasri

To be completely fair, Samir Nasri was never involved in drug use when he was an Arsenal player or even in the Premier League with Manchester City. He was caught when he had just finished a stint with Turkish outfit, Antalyaspor. On 22 February 2018, UEFA handing him a 6-month ban for doping.

Initially, it was for 6 months but then it was extended to 18 months following another ruling by the governing body. He finally returned to football in January 2019 with West Ham United and played the 5 league games for the club.

Kolo Toure

Back in 2011, Kolo Touré was banned for six months following a failed test. It was believed to be because of his wife’s diet pills. Touré was playing for Manchester City at the time and he was the first player in the Premier League since Adrian Mutu in 2004 to fail a drugs test.

Touré claimed he had taken the pills in a bid to lose weight and was unaware of any wrong-doing. The FA eventually seemed to take the circumstances behind the failed test into consideration, however, Touré still had to serve the ban.

Paul Merson

Former Arsenal and England midfielder, Paul Merson was addicted to alcohol, drugs and gambling during his playing career. His first marriage crumbled because of his problems. Merson was also involved in a car crash on the M40 near Warwick, the reason cited to be drunk driving.

The FA put him through therapy for all three and having come to terms with his problems he is now a media pundit.

Group Of Arsenal Players Who Took Drugs

A report was released by The Sun on 7 December 2018 where news of Arsenal players participating in drug use was revealed. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil, Alexandre Lacazette and Matteo Guendouzi was noticed at the centre of entire gathering, inhaling “hippy crack” from balloons.

The substance is actually nitrous oxide which was passed around in the party balloons along with £30,000 worth of champagne and vodka. The incident took place in the heart of London, just days ahead of the beginning of the 2018/19 Premier League campaign.

70 girls were reported to be present along with the Arsenal stars. 19-year-old Guendouzi lost consciousness at one point. A source from the inside the club had said,  “Boxes of ‘hippy crack’ canisters were brought in and the players were blowing up balloons and inhaling.

“They were off their heads on the gas — some of them appeared to pass out. It got pretty wild. Ozil looked out of it at one point. He took a big draw on a balloon then seemed to lose consciousness and slide down in his seat.

“The young player with the curly hair was also encouraged to have a go and the effect was even worse. He inhaled the gas then passed out completely and slumped to one side on a sofa.

“It was incredible to see so-called athletes and role models taking risks with a dangerous substance.

“If their fans — and their coach — could have seen what was going on they’d have been horrified. It got more raucous as the drink flowed. Several left with girls in black Mercedes people carriers as it wound up at around 4am.”

Just days later, Arsenal suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Manchester City and then 3-2 away to Chelsea.

Another person present at the party added, “Everyone but the players were required to hand in their mobile phones as they arrived. The Arsenal lads obviously didn’t want any pictures taken of what they were getting up to.”

Let’s just say, there was a serious dressing down handed out to the players by the new no-nonsense manager, Unai Emery. But this is definitely a huge red light in the direction and mental attitude Arsenal players are currently in. Hopefully, the Spanish boss can bring around change soon enough.

Premier League Stars Who Took Drugs

Pep Guardiola

I know! You wouldn’t have excepted to hear this mans name anywhere near to drugs, given the type of disciplinarian he is. But Guardiola has been caught with steroid use during his playing career.

After finishing his career with Barcelona as a footballer, Pep moved to Brescia in Serie A in Italy in 2001. Only a few months later he tested for the steroid nandrolone similarly like Manchester United’s Jaap Stam. Like Stam, he protested his innocence only to receive a four-match ban and a €50,000 fine.

Guardiola was furious with what he saw as the tarnishing of his reputation and campaigned against the ban long after he had left the Italian club. He was finally cleared of all charges in 2009.

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